Why does my breath smell when I floss?

Your mouth is full of bacteria, and these bacteria feed residual food and drink particles in your mouth. Without regular brushing and flossing—and sometimes with—bacteria can accumulate and release sulfur compounds that give your breath a foul odor.
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Does my breath smell as bad as my floss?

Take a whiff of your floss when you're done. If it smells, that means you have bad breath and the smell on the floss is coming out of your mouth. If the floss does not have a strong odor, it likely means you're in the clear.
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Why does my breath smell worse when I floss?

Neglecting to brush the teeth twice daily and floss regularly can make the breath smell as plaque and bacteria easily accumulates on and around the teeth. Food which is not removed through flossing remains on the teeth which causes the breath to have a foul odor.
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How do I get rid of the smell between my teeth?

Brush using a fluoride-containing toothpaste at least twice a day, especially after meals. Toothpaste with antibacterial properties has been shown to reduce bad breath odors. Floss at least once a day. Proper flossing removes food particles and plaque from between your teeth, helping to control bad breath.
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Why does my breath smell like poop when I floss?

Poor oral hygiene can cause your breath to smell like poop. Failing to brush and floss your teeth properly and regularly can make your breath smell because plaque and bacteria accumulate on and between your teeth. Food that's not removed by flossing stays between your teeth, causing your breath to smell unpleasant.
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Why does my breath STINK! When I floss?



How often should you floss?

The American Dental Association recommends that you brush your teeth twice daily and floss each day. While we know of some patients who floss after each meal just to ensure there's no food stuck in their teeth, flossing just once each day will work wonders for your oral hygiene.
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What does tooth decay smell like?

If you don't brush and floss well, your mouth breaks down the tiny chunks of food that are caught between your teeth. This can give off an odor that can smell like sulfur or rotten eggs.
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Should I floss before or after brushing?

The short answer: It does. While it may be surprising, a study has found that flossing first followed by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste is more effective in removing interdental plaque than brushing first, flossing second. In addition, flossing before brushing results in greater fluoride retention between teeth.
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What does gingivitis breath smell like?

These wound-like openings can trap decaying food or emit rotting smells, too. Another cause could be untreated periodontal disease (gum disease). Granulomatosis can also cause rotten or decayed-smelling breath.
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Why does my breath stink after I brush my teeth?

Causes of bad breath even after brushing. When you brush your teeth, you prevent the buildup of bacteria on decaying food particles that can get stuck on your teeth or gums. These bacteria produce sulfur compounds that can lead to bad breath, especially if they don't get brushed away.
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Why does my tooth smell like poop?

An abscessed tooth is a severe dental infection. It occurs when the pulp inside the tooth decays. This may lead to a bacterial infection, which can result in pain, swelling, and breath that smells like feces due to a buildup of pus. An abscessed tooth may not have painful symptoms until the infection is very advanced.
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Is it normal for floss to go under your gums?

There is no need to pull the floss at the level of your gum tissue. If your gums aren't healthy, they may bleed, or you can experience pain. If you regularly put pressure on your gums with floss, you could create lasting damage in the tissue in the form of a furrow or cleft. Don't risk it.
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How do I know if I have halitosis?

Symptoms of halitosis
  1. A white coating on the tongue especially at the back of the tongue.
  2. Dry mouth.
  3. Build up around teeth.
  4. Post-nasal drip, or mucous.
  5. Morning bad breath and a burning tongue.
  6. Thick saliva and a constant need to clear your throat.
  7. Constant sour, bitter metallic taste.
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Why does it taste bad when I floss?

A bad taste after brushing and flossing can be caused by taking certain kinds of medication that dry out the mouth by reducing the flow of saliva. A dry mouth often creates a bad taste that lingers even after brushing and flossing.
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Should we floss everyday?

The short answer is: yes, you should floss every day. The American Dental Association recommends flossing your teeth every day to improve oral health and prevent gum disease, tooth decay, and more. We hear this recommendation often from dental product ads on TV and in magazines.
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Can you floss too much?

Flossing too much damages your gums. They can get irritated and swollen, and even bleed. You might think this is a sign you aren't flossing enough, and go at it even more aggressively. If you're this type of flosser, you're probably sawing away at your gums and teeth.
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Can you reverse gingivitis?

Fortunately, reversing gingivitis is relatively easy. As always, the best way is to maintain a rigorous oral hygiene routine. This means you should brush for two minutes twice a day, floss regularly, and avoid sugary foods.
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Does gingivitis go away?

You can expect to see improvements after a few days of treatment, but it may take a while for symptoms to go away completely. In most cases, gingivitis usually clears up within 10 to 14 days. If your gingivitis is more serious, it could take longer to treat.
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Should you put toothpaste on floss?

floss first because it is the task more likely to get skipped if left until the end, brush first because the fluoride from the toothpaste will get pushed in between the teeth while flossing, and. floss first because it will break up plaque between the teeth for the brush to remove.
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Is it better to floss in the morning or at night?

The best time to floss is when you have time to floss properly. For many people, this means flossing at night before bed. This may also prevent food particles from remaining in your teeth overnight, which will reduce possible damage from bacteria.
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Does flossing make your teeth whiter?

Although flossing may not make teeth whiter, it can help keep white teeth from yellowing by getting rid of food particles and preventing the buildup of plaque, said Dr. Matt Messina, a dentist in Cleveland who is the consumer adviser for the American Dental Association.
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Can other people smell my rotten tooth?

Absolutely. As odd as it might seem, just as you can smell the odor coming off of a rotting piece of fruit, you can smell the odor released from a rotting tooth. If you have bad breath that seems near impossible to get rid of, it's possible you have one or more rotten teeth.
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Can you taste a rotten tooth?

Unpleasant taste in the mouth

Apart from tooth decay, any infection in the mouth can also cause a bad taste. If the tooth decay is accompanied by pus in the gums, you may get bad taste from that.
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Can you smell rotten teeth?

Bad Breath

A decaying tooth results in a foul smell. If you develop bad breath or notice an odd odor coming from your mouth, you might have one or several rotten teeth. Halitosis is one of the most common indications of decayed teeth.
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